Winter continues to hold it's icy grip on the greater SF Bay area with more powerful storms coming off the Pacific and snow on the high peaks! But with everything outdoors turning a bright emerald green, we look forward to Spring months with lengthening days and warm afternoon sunshine! Read through this monthly newsletter to find out how you can be involved in fun programs and great opportunities for Scout youth and adult leaders alike. We ARE Scouting in Marin!

As a reminder, please forward this monthly newsletter to other people in your unit who may not be receiving it, or suggest visit our website, or sign-up for a subscription here!

Just over a century ago, a group of 19 local residents met to form an organization in Marin County that would provide an educational outdoor program for boys to build character, train in responsible citizenship, and develop personal fitness. At that time they founded the Marin Council, BSA and on March 1, 1923 they received a Charter from the 13-year old Boy Scouts of America National Council.

Join us throughout this year in celebrating our Centennial anniversary of providing the quality youth-serving programs for boys and girls known as "Scouting in Marin!"

Unit leaders, don't forget to assign someone from your Pack, Troop or Crew to attend our regular monthly Roundtable meeting for leaders and parents! This gathering via ZOOM will start at 7:30pm sharp with opening ceremony and brief announcements for all program volunteers together. The Scouts BSA group will then go into their own break-out session.

with Commissioners Roger Dickerson & Mike Blum!

Looking for a fun weekend in the snow with your Scouts BSA patrol at beautiful Marin-Sierra? OA Talako Lodge Arrowmen are taking advantage of our deep winter snowpack by preparing for our annual Klondike Derby Winter Camporee. The theme is "Raiders of the Lost Patrol Box", and the cost is only $20 per person which includes camp fees, Saturday lunch, hot drinks and the cool patch shown on the right. Registration, the updated Sourdough guide to winter camping techniques, and more details are available HERE! Don't delay, register your patrol for winter fun!

One of the favorite local events of the year is the annual Marin Council Recognition Dinner scheduled for Monday, March 13, 2023. The reason it's so popular is that we recognize dozens of outstanding Scouts and leaders at that time. Scouts, Explorers, and adult leaders from all over the county attend this wonderful event. Click here to register NOW!

OTY Leaders will all be recognized. For the other Adults awards, the honorees are selected from all the nominations collected by the Council Recognition committee.

All 2021 & 2022 Scout youth & adult nominees will be recognized at the Council Recognition Dinner this March. What a great opportunity to see all that is happening in Scouting throughout Marin County! Click here for a flyer to pass along to all families in your unit!

All Marin Cub Scouts are invited to this exciting event to build their marksmanship skills on the Archery and BB-gun ranges at Tamarancho. This event is for Cub Scouts only; Tigers through Webelos (Lions are not permitted to shoot per BSA Policy, and Tigers must have an adult partner present with them at all times). The cost per Cub Scout is only $10 and includes one 40-minute session each of Archery and BB-gun, and a fun participation patch shown at the right!

Reserve your fun day at the ranges through our online registration portal or the same graphic shown on the Marin Council website homepage. The registration deadline is April 10, but don’t delay because space is limited to only 64 participants on each range! NO WALK-INS WILL BE ACCEPTED! You can download a flyer to forward to your Pack families!

Here are two valuable Adult Leader Trainings to prepare you for Scouting the trail ahead!

For all Scouts BSA & Venturing BSA adult volunteers! Weekend of May 6-7 overnight outdoors at scenic Camp Tamarancho in Fairfax. Learn the outdoor skills your Scouts need to follow on the Trail to First Class! Click here to register or find more details!

This is a comprehensive and FUN adult leader training for all BSA-registered volunteers. The five-day course is held over two weekends in September at scenic Camp Tamarancho in Fairfax. Click Here for registration or find out more information. (Piedmont, Redwood Empire, and Marin Councils partnering on this course)

Our annual Cub Scout Camping adventures are a great way for your family, den and pack to have fun outdoors at our beautiful camp properties which are among the best of their type in all of California! Tent camping, good food, fun activities and lots of program opportunities await you this Spring, Summer and Fall. Put these weekends on your calendar or download this flyer!

Family Fiesta Weekend --- May 19-21 @ Camp Tamarancho

"Be Prepared" for the new Camping Season!

Webelos Woods Weekend --- September 1-3 @ Camp Marin-Sierra

Cub Camping Connection Weekend --- September 22-24 @ Camp Tamarancho

Cub Scout Day Camp Weeks --- July 10-14 and July 24-28 @ Tamarancho

For a Day Camp Staff application, click here!

A friendly reminder to complete your BSA Annual Health & Medical Record (AHMR) before Summer. To participate in Scouting activities and campouts, all Scout youth and adult Scouters must complete the AHMR; parts A&B for day or wknd events (for youth it must be signed by a parent), OR parts A/B/C (must be reviewed, completed and signed by a physician) for any events longer than 72 hrs including all Summer Camp weeks and high-adventure treks. Download a fillable .pdf version from the BSA website by clicking the image on the right, and don't delay as physician appointments can take several weeks to schedule!

After another successful Summer reviving the excellent programs and Scout Camp traditions at Marin-Sierra, we are excited by the opportunities awaiting us in July 2023! Our Council webpage has all the exciting details to plan your best week ever at Scouts BSA resident camp! This annual experience is critical to the delivering the promise of adventure and the mission of the BSA to our youth.

Click here to submit an application for the most Summer fun you can have by joining our amazing Camp Staff team at Marin-Sierra, the best Summer camp in the Sierra Nevada . . . May the Forest be with YOU!

The Council Venturing Committee helps guide our older Scouting youth and young adults with the benefits of this co-ed program and fantastic leadership opportunities. More information about our Venture Crews with their special interests and high adventure activities is available through our quarterly Venturing Rally meetings or recent Scouts BSA Roundtables. For further details, please email Venturing Rally Commissioner Peter Bauer. There are several interesting adventures next year to National and world Scouting events; see details below or join Venture Crew 333 to find out more!

Join local Marin Scouts who are planning to visit the amazing International Scout Centre in Kandersteg,

Switzerland, founded by Lord Robert Baden-Powell. From June 25 to July 9, 2023, we'll travel the Swiss Alps, hike trails surrounded by incredibly scenic beauty, and enjoy meeting Scouts from around globe! Depart from SFO and fly to Zurich, then travel by rail though the Swiss Alps to Kandersteg, and return for a fun overnight in Zurich. The Crew size is limited to 14 participants; all equipment and program is provided. For more details, check out the Kandersteg website and email Crew Advisor Willy Coronado.

Our second lodge meeting of the year was held on Valentine's Tuesday, February 14 at the Elks Lodge, and our brotherhood of service supported the very popular annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Workshop Day up at Camp Tamarancho on a drizzly Saturday, February 11 for nearly 150 of our youngest Scouts!

We will also have our monthly Lodge meeting at the San Rafael Elks on Tuesday, March 14. Talako will be hosting our annual Klondike Derby Winter Camporee at Marin-Sierra over the wknd of March 10-12. The updated Sourdough Manual with the theme "Raiders of the Lost Patrol Box" gives you all the details your patrol will need to make this year's Klondike competition the best ever! Looking forward to seeing all the Arrowmen at these events!

We also have our Spring OA induction in mid-April and visitations for elections will be happening between March 10 and April 7. Make sure to schedule your visitations soon!

If you have any questions about the National Order of the Arrow organization, NOAC or the local Talako Lodge in Marin, please contact Lodge Chief Finn Diringer.

Please check our Council website homepage regularly for the most current information and event calendar, and the frequent social media activity on our Facebook and Instagram pages linked below, as well as those for Camps Tamarancho & Marin-Sierra.